In December 2021, posters resembling wanted notices from Western films appeared on the streets of Šabac, featuring the images of three local residents. One of them was Isidora Kovačević, editor of Podrinske. The posters read „WANTED,“ promising the citizens of Šabac a reward—“a peaceful sleep for the people of Šabac.“ Below the name of the young editor of the local media outlet, the inscription read: „Media sponsor of thugs.“

Three years after this incident and the media attention it attracted, a first-instance verdict was reached—two years in prison for the individual who had put up the posters while intoxicated, along with a one-year restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim. However, there was no mention of those who commissioned, designed, or printed the material.

The criminal proceedings, conducted before the Basic Court in Šabac under case number 3 K-849/22 over the course of three years, have yet to reach a final conclusion, despite the first-instance conviction of the person who posted the wanted notices. This case serves as a striking example of the intimidation and targeting of journalists in local communities in Serbia. In this particular instance, the only reason journalist and editor Isidora Kovačević found herself on a wanted poster was that she was professionally carrying out her job and objectively informing the public about current events in Šabac.

 

What Preceded the Court Case?

On November 27, 2021, during a citizens’ protest and blockade of the bridge over the Sava River in Šabac, a clash occurred between the gathered protesters and a masked group of young men. The citizens were peacefully demonstrating their opposition to the Law on Expropriation and the Referendum Law.

In an attempt to break through the blockade using an excavator, an activist of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party drove toward the assembled citizens. Behind the excavator, a group of masked young men armed with clubs followed, attacking and beating the peacefully gathered protesters. The excavator driver did not conceal his identity. To this day, he has not been prosecuted for this incident, nor have the masked attackers with baseball bats, who hid their identities behind balaclavas.

 

What Happened Then?

Isidora Kovačević reported on this event at the Šabac bridge through the media outlet where she worked—Podrinske. Her reporting was professional, objective, and in accordance with the Journalist’s Code of Ethics and the Law on Public Information and Media. According to a content analysis later conducted by lawyers, her coverage contained no insults, defamation, or false information. Alongside the article, photographs related to the event were also published. Isidora’s only goal, duty, and desire were to inform the citizens of Šabac and Serbia in a professional and objective manner about a real human struggle—to protect basic rights, dignity, and the need for a better and safer future.

 

Serbian Progressive Party’s Response to Media Coverage

In response to Podrinske‘s reporting, printed wanted posters soon began appearing across the streets of Šabac. They were plastered on walls, placed in mailboxes, and hung on parked cars. Three individuals were targeted: a local lawyer, a minor, and the editor of Podrinske. The posters all carried the same title, “WANTED”, and below each person’s photo were sarcastic descriptions: “Consigliere of the Thugs”, “Criminal”, and “Media Sponsor of the Thugs.”

In this context, “Consigliere of the Thugs” could imply someone advising a mafia-like organization or coordinating violent enforcers in a political, criminal, or other setting. “Media Sponsor of the Thugs” suggests a journalist or media outlet that, through their reporting, justifies, conceals, or even encourages the actions of violent groups—whether political extremists, paid provocateurs, or other actors who use force to achieve their goals.

As an incentive for the people of Šabac, the posters promised a “peaceful sleep.” This message, however, directly endangered the safety of Isidora and the other targeted individuals, as well as their families, pushing them to the limits of fear and distress.

Once the wanted posters featuring Isidora’s image became public, a legal battle began to identify those responsible, alongside a psychological struggle to overcome the fear and trauma caused by this event.

 

Legal Battle

Immediately after the incident, Isidora reported the case to the Police Department of the City of Šabac and provided multiple statements regarding the violent event. The Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Šabac was also informed. Additionally, the Šabac Bar Association responded by filing a criminal complaint against unknown perpetrators.

However, in direct violation of standard police procedures, the Šabac Police Department submitted a report to the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office without an official record or any written documentation that could reliably establish how and on what basis the police determined that the „potential“ perpetrator of the crime was the individual later prosecuted.

By handling the case in this manner, institutions tasked with ensuring public safety and upholding the constitutional order introduced contradictions and inconsistencies, undermining their own role and creating legal uncertainty for citizens.

 

Initiation and Course of the Court Proceedings

Based on the report from the competent Šabac Police Department and actions taken by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, a criminal case for endangering safety was initiated before the competent Basic Court in Šabac. The proceedings were launched against the individual identified and processed by the Šabac Police Department. Before the criminal proceedings began, this individual confessed to committing the offense during questioning at the Šabac Police Department. However, during the trial, they denied committing the crime. Court documents later stated that the accused was „neither considered guilty nor responsible for it.“ The main trial before the Basic Court in Šabac concluded on October 2, 2024, when the court announced its verdict, finding the defendant guilty of endangering safety. However, the written first-instance decision—its official transcript—was not delivered until three months later.

 

The Role of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists

The involvement of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists in this case was one of the ways media associations sought to increase public visibility of the trial. Established in 2016, the Working Group is one of the mechanisms for journalist protection in Serbia. However, it has often faced criticism for its slow response to individual cases and lack of concrete results in safeguarding journalists’ rights.

The group’s primary goal is to enhance journalist protection, ensure faster responses to threats and attacks, and address systemic issues related to the endangerment of press freedoms in Serbia. It includes representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, as well as various media and journalist associations.

The case „Journalists on the Wanted List“ drew significant attention from media organizations. As a result of the heightened media focus, a Working Group meeting was held in Šabac, where local-level participants discussed the case directly. This meeting exposed a complete lack of coordination between national and local institutions, as well as between the prosecutor’s office and the police.

Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that continuous monitoring and pressure from media and journalist organizations played a key role in ensuring the case progressed and ultimately led to a court ruling.

 

Legal Outcome

Despite the first-instance verdict, the final resolution of the Journalists on the Wanted List case remains uncertain. The delay in delivering the verdict to the parties involved is just one of many procedural failures and ambiguities within the judicial system, which, in this case, has clearly failed in a serious way.

The real perpetrators and masterminds behind this incident have neither been identified nor prosecuted, while the convicted individual remains the only one held accountable. As a result, the injured journalist and the local community have been only partially reassured by the ruling.

The judiciary has yet to deliver its final word, as the first-instance criminal proceedings remain incomplete, leaving the case in legal limbo.

 

Possible Legal Outcomes

The parties involved in the case—particularly the victim and their legal representatives—who live and work in Šabac, a tight-knit local community where everyone knows each other, have serious doubts about whether the individual convicted in the first-instance ruling actually committed the crime.

These doubts stem from the fact that the court files contain no concrete evidence of the defendant’s guilt, aside from their initial confession at the Šabac Police Department, which they later retracted during the trial. Furthermore, participants in the proceedings point to reports suggesting that the defendant had been convicted in the past for another crime, but allegedly for an offense they did not commit, having accepted conviction in exchange for financial compensation.

Under these circumstances, the first-instance verdict could be overturned, and in a retrial, an acquittal remains a possibility. Additionally, there is the potential for the case to reach the statute of limitations, effectively nullifying any further legal action.

All of this suggests that the true masterminds and orchestrators of the wanted poster campaign may never be prosecuted, while the individual who initially admitted to putting up the posters could ultimately walk free.

 

Psychological Struggle

Alongside the legal battle, Isidora Kovačević, as a young journalist and editor, is fighting one of the biggest personal and professional battles of her life. In this fight, she strives to bring public attention to the event that affected both her and her fellow citizens, transforming her fear into strength—a strength she hopes to pass on to others, both colleagues and members of the public.

She hopes that her experience will help raise awareness and empower people to fight for truthful and high-quality journalism, as well as for a judicial system that functions professionally.

However, the intimidation of this young and courageous woman did not end with this case—she continues to face various forms of pressure, including messages and comments on social media aimed at discrediting her work and warning her to avoid potential dangers in the community where she was born. These threats, which have persisted for three years, have significantly changed her life.

Today, Isidora Kovačević works for TV Nova in Belgrade, having relocated part of her life to a different environment, where she clearly feels safer.

 

Final Analysis

The court case „Journalists on the Wanted List“ is still ongoing, but the process so far has exposed numerous flaws. It is evident that Serbia, as a country in the process of democratization, faces a long road toward the consistent respect for fundamental moral and professional norms and principles.

This case has demonstrated how journalists who adhere to professional standards, uphold the Journalists’ Code of Ethics, and operate in accordance with the Law on Public Information can become targets of pressure and intimidation. They may face threats to their safety and that of their loved ones, while simultaneously lacking adequate protection in both legal and personal battles.

Journalist and media associations play a crucial role in the fight to protect journalists. It is their duty to provide support and assistance to colleagues who find themselves in similar situations. Their efforts must become more proactive and focused on safeguarding journalistic integrity, ensuring persistent monitoring of such cases, and informing the wider public about them.

Strengthening influence and advocacy through participation in the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists is one of the mechanisms for achieving these goals. Though slow-moving, this mechanism enables journalist and media organizations to publicly expose weaknesses in the coordination between the police, public prosecution, and judiciary, as well as to investigate the contentious aspects that lead to such legal outcomes.

 

The authors of the Case Study are lawyers:

Dragan Lazarević

Nela Jeremić Ilić

Selena Lazarević

 

The lawyers are long-term collaborators in providing legal assistance to the Association of Local and Independent Media „Lokal Pres“ Serbia